Dear XXXXX,
As you go out in the world, go out with full confidence.
Know that there will be jerks out there or even some friends who can suddenly turn into jerks without any warning. When people have their “jerk episode,” they will surprise you by making judgments on you or what you did or doubt your intentions.
Though you know for a fact that truth is something entirely different than what they are portraying. Sometimes people do this merely to provoke you emotionally, and sometimes there is a genuine misunderstanding. We can not live our lives trying to avoid such confrontations. Such avoidance places limits on our spontaneity, trust, and enthusiasm and makes it hard if not impossible to thrive in a workplace. So we have to live fearlessly with a practical approach to deal with confrontations. And we have an excellent strategy for you.

When provoked emotionally, respond rationally. Become a Sherlock Holmes, an Einstein or a Vulcan like Mr. Spock. …